news release
    11th May 2005

SAS and Surfrider Disappointed and Discriminated

Clean water campaigners Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) and Surfrider Foundation Europe have been left disappointed by an unambitious European Parliament vote on the future of Europe’s beaches today.

Despite presenting 10,000 signatures to the EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas to better protect the health of Europe’s recreational water users, the Parliament voted against supporting new amendments that would have protected them under Europe’s Bathing Water legislation.

In addition the Parliament backed down on its own Environment Committee’s guidance to strengthen water quality standards. Instead they allowed for a new ‘sufficient’ category to be added to the Directive, which allows beaches to pass the already 30 year old and out-of-date health standards relating to bathing water quality.

In a complete u-turn from its original vote in October 2003 the Parliament has overwhelmingly failed to modernise this Directive and discriminates against the new ‘bathers’ of the day – surfers, windsurfers, kayakers, divers and dinghy sailors in not protecting them when they use bathing water for recreation. Studies have already shown that recreational water users like surfers are 3 times more at risk of contracting certain water borne infections from polluted water than the general public.

In allowing beaches that would otherwise fail World Health Organisation health recommended standards to pass EU standards by way of a new ‘sufficient’ classification leaves the public still at risk.

Nathalie Williams, Surfrider Head of Communications says: “Over the last year we have worked hard to collect the 10,000 signatures presented today to the Parliament. It’s very disappointing to have the Parliament react in this way when so many surfers and recreational water users now use Europe’s bathing waters to stay fit and healthy”.

Richard Hardy, SAS Campaigns Director says: “Today’s vote has failed to protect those bathers most at risk from polluted water such as surfers and still allows 1 in every 8 bathing waters across the EU to run health risks”. SAS and Surfrider will now look at the possibility of lobbying the European Commission for a new Directive that protects recreational water uses across the EU.

For more information please contact Richard Hardy on Tel: 0845 4583001 or Nathalie Williams on 00 33 (0)5 59 23 54 99.

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